Kosmos

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

Culture clash

Only women and Scotsmen wear “skirts”, you say? Far from it! Airy garments worn around the waist are also popular with men from Greece, India and Polynesia.

Fustanella

Southeastern europe

The fustanella, a white pleated skirt extending well over the knee, is not so much every-day wear as a garment for a special occastion. It looks good and (a shortened version) is also part of the Greek presidential guard’s uniform.

Sarong

Southern Asia

Long pants? Too hot. Shorts? For tourists only. Alternative: the sarong, a wraparound skirt popular in India and Sri Lanka. But take care to get the wrapping over right, gentlemen, or you could soon be going “bottomless.”

Lava-Lava

South pacific

Things are much simpler in Polynesia, where men simply wear a lava-lava, that’s a square piece of fabric they wind around their hips and tie at the ends. Combined with a shirt, tie and suit jacket, it makes a very elegant outfit for a business meeting.

Gaucho reality

Descendants of Iberian immigrants and Argentina’s first nations, gauchos have often been romanticized as free spirits who lead a hard life as cattle farmers on the South American pampas. Argentine photographer Aldo Sessa captured the reality and traditions of gaucho life in powerful images and has now published a book called Cauchos. Icons of Argentina

Culture clash

Down on your knee, out with the ring: This is how men traditionally propose in the West, but it’s only one of many traditions.

a matter of choice

“Would you make miso soup for me every day?” In the past, Japenese women could expect their suitor to pop this question, but these days, most would prefer to be admired for more than just their cooking skills. In traditional families, however, the parents have the final say.

a matter of respect

Men in Fiji first approach a woman’s parents, who can expect to receive a beautiful pair of whale teeth as an engagement gift.

a matter of convention

Talk about traditional: Among heterosexuals in the United States, men propose to women 95 percent of the time. In Scotland and Ireland, women like to take the initiative – but only in a leap year, on February 29.